Automatic tracking device for music-sheets.



W. F. BAYER.

AUYOMATIC TRACKING DEVICE FOR MUSIC SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2.1914.

Patented Jan. 2,1917.

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W. F. BAYER.

AUIOMATIC TRACKING DEVICE FOR MUSIC SHEETS.

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Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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ATTORNEYS-.1

WILLIAM F. BAYER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TRACKING DEVICE FOR MUSIC-SHEETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Application filed January 2, 1914. Serial No. 809,894.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. BAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bufialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Tracking Devices for Music-Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the automatic tracking devices which are employed for maintaining the perforated music sheet of a musical instrument in correct register with the ducts of the tracker.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a simple, compact and inexpen sive device of this character which is sensitive and reliable in action.

Av further object is to so construct the device that it is readily adjustable to music sheets of different widths.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of a tracker mechanism embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary front elevation of a modified arrangement of the improvement. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the latter.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 indicates the cheek pieces of the usual tracker box or frame which carries the tracker 2 having the customary note-ducts 3.

4 indicates the music spool and 5 the takeup spool both of which may be of any suitable construction. In the construction shown, one end of the music roll spindle, preferably the left-hand one, is removably engaged with the customary spring-pressed plunger 6 which slides in the bearing 7, while the opposite end of the spindle has a slot which interlocks with a corresponding tongue on the end of a shaft 8. The latter is journaled in the adjacent cheek piece and longitudinally movable therein, so that the music roll can be shifted endwise in either direction for restoring the sheet to its proper tracking position when it moves laterally out of its normal relation to the tracker. This lateral or shifting movement of the music roll is effected through a lever 9 mounted on a vertical pivot 10 carried by a bracket 11 projectin from the tracker box. The front arm 0 this lever carries a depending pin 12 which engages a grooved collar 13 secured to the shaft 8. The rear arm of the lever 9 is connected by a link 14 with a corresponding arm 15 secured to an upright rock shaft 16. supported in a frame 17 secured to the adjacent end of the tracker box. This rock shaft also carries a forwardly-extending rock arm 18 connected by a link 19 with an actuating rod 20 which is reciprocated by a suitable operating mechanism, whereby the music roll is shifted laterally in one or the other direction through the link 19, rock shaft 16 and lever 9. This operating mechanism is preferably of the pneumatic type and controlled by a pair of tracking ducts 21 and 22 which in turn are controlled by a pair of valves 23 and 24. In the construction shown, these tracking ducts are formed in a pair of blocks 25 arranged on the upper side of the tracker and near opposite ends thereof. The valves 23 and 24 consist of disks both secured to an actuating or valverod 26 arranged to slide lengthwise of the tracker, these valves being so arranged relatively to the opposing faces of the duct blocks 25 that when said rod is in its normal central position, both valves are open, admitting the outer atmosphere to both tracking ducts 21 and 22, while'when said rod is shifted in either direction, one valve is closed and the other opened. The ends of the valve-rod are preferably spherical and guided in the duct-blocks 25, their ducts 21 and 22 being of larger diameter than the body of the rod to leave annular passages around the ends of the rod to admit the atmosphere whenv the valves are open. The operating mechanism controlled by these tracking ducts preferably comprises a suction or exhaust box 27 which may be placed at one side of the tracker-box or in any other convenient location, and from which the air is constantly exhausted through a passage 28 connected with the main bellows or other exhaust chamber of the instrument, not shown in the drawings. Arranged in opposite walls of this suctionbox are internal diaphragm-chambers 29 and 30 respectively covered by oppositely-acting motor diaphragms or pouches 31 and 32, which bear against the outer sides of collars or buttons 33 and 34 fixed to the actuating rod 20 which latter is guided in openings in the walls of said box.

35 indicates a suction channel connected with the interior of the suction box 27 and containing a pair of primary pneumatics or diaphragms 36 which cover chambers 37 in the bottom of said channel, these diaphragmchambers being respectively connected with the tracking ducts 21 and 22 by passages 38 and tubes 39 and 39. These diaphragmchambers are also connected with the suction-channel 85 by auxiliary passages 40 and bleed holes a1. Controlled by these diaphragms 36 are a pair of puppet-valves 42 and 43 arranged in a valve-block a l. located at one side of the suction-box 27. The stem of each of the valves 12 and 13 plays in a passage e5 adapted to communicate at its lower end with the suction channel 35 and at its upper end with the outer atmosphere. The passages 15 contain enlargements or chambers 46 with which the diaphragmchambers 29 and 30 are respectively connected by channels 47 and 18, shown by dotted lines in the drawings.

Mounted on the valve rod 26 with their inner edges in line with the inner edges of the flanges of the music roll, are a pair of shifting collars or shoulders 49 and 50 adapted to engage the edges of the music sheet which latter is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that inrcase the sheet should move from its normal central position it will bear against one or the other of said collars and shift the valve rod 26 laterally. One or both of these shifting collars are longitudinallyadjustable on the valve-rod to accommodate music sheets of different widths, the collars being secured to said rod by set screws 51, or any other suitable means. In practice these collars should be spaced to correspond to the width of the music.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the music sheet occupies its proper, central tracking position, as shown in the drawings, both of the valves 28 and 2a are open and the actuating rod 20 of the operating mechanism is held in its corresponding central position by the motor diaphragms 31 and 32, thereby retaining the music roll 4: in its central posit-ion through the hereindescribed connections between said rod and the collar 13. In this position of said valves, the atmosphere is admitted through both tracking ducts 21 and 22 to the diaphragm chambers 37 through the tubes 39 and 39 and channels 38, thereby elevating both puppet valves 42 and 1-3, as shown in the drawings, and admitting the outer atmosphere to both the motor-diaphragm chambers 29 and 30, through the passages 45, enlargements 16 and channels 17 and 48. The atmospheric pressure against the backs of the diaphragms 29 and 30 is thus balanced, causing them to retain the actuating rod 20 in its normal central position. Should the music sheet swerve from its normal course, say toward the left, the corresponding shifting collar 49 is 1,21 e ia moved laterally with the sheet, shifting the valve rod 26 in the same direction and clos ing the valve 28, while leaving the other valve 24; open. The atmosphere being now out off from the corresponding primary diaphragm or pneumatic 36, the puppet valve 43 is allowed to drop, cutting of]? the atmos phere from the chamber 30 behind the righthand motor-diaphragm 32. The air is now exhausted from the last-named chamber through the channel 4L3, enlargement 4L6 and passages 45 and 85, thus balancing the reduced tension on opposite sides of said diaphragm 32 and allowing the continued atmospheric pressure against the back of the other motor-diaphragm 31, to preponderate and shift the actuating rod 20 toward the right. The music roll is thereby shifted in the same direction, restoring the music sheet to its central position in which its perforations register accurately with the ducts of the tracker. Should the music sheet swerve toward the right, the valve-rod 26 is shifted in the same direction through its collar 50, thereby closing the right-hand tracking duct 22 and allowing the left-hand duct 21 to remain open. The left-hand motor-diaphragm chamber 29 is now exhausted, allowing the right-hand motor diaphragm to preponder ate and shifting the music sheet far enough toward the left to restore it to its normal position. It will thus be seen that so long as the music sheet remains in its proper tracking position, both controlling valves of the tracking ducts 21 and 22 remain open, maintaining atmospheric pressure against the backs of both motor diaphragms 29 and 30, while when either of said ducts is closed, the air is exhausted on both sides of the motordiaphragm controlled by the closed tracking duct.

Instead of shift-ing the music roll and the music sheet, the tracker may be shifted longitudinally with reference to the sheet to restore the proper relation between the perforations of the sheet and the note-ducts of the tracker. Such a modification is shown in Figs. i and 5, where 19 indicates av line; which connects one end of the longitudinally movable tracker 2 with an arm 19 projecting forwardly from the rock shaft 16 while the actuating rod 20 remains connected with the lower arm 18 of said shaft, causing the tracker to move in the same direction as said rod. The upper arm 15, link 14, lever 9 and collar 18 are in this case omitted. The tracker may be guided in transverse ways or grooves in the cheeks of the tracker box or by any other suitable means. In this modified arrangement, when the music sheet moves laterally out of its normal position, the tracker must be shift ed in the same direction to restore proper 7 registration. To accomplish this, the tubes or connections between the tracking ducts 21 and 22 and the valve blocks 14 are reversed from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tube 39 of the left-hand tracking duct 21 leading to the controlling valve 42 of the right hand motor diaphragm 31 and the tube 39 of the right hand tracking duct 22 leading to the controlling Valve of the left hand motor diaphragm 32, as shown in Fig. 4. This improved tracking mechanism is accurate and reliable in action.

The valve rod 26 slides freely and smoothly in its bearings and its valves are therefore sensitive and promptly responsive to the lateral movements of the music sheet. This free action of this valve-rod also avoids objectionable curling or fraying of the edges of the sheet by the shifting collars 19 and 50. It will also be noted that the mouths of the tracking duct-s 25 are located some distance from the edges of the music sheet, preventing any lint which may ad here to such edges from readily entering and clogging said ducts.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic adjusting device for music sheets, the combination of a tracker, a pair of tracking ducts, valves controlling said ducts, actuating devices for said valves arranged to be engaged by opposite edges of the music sheet, and mechanism for re- Storing the proper relation between the tracker and the music sheet when the sheet moves laterally to an abnormal position, said mechanism comprising a suction box containing a pair of opposing diaphragmchambers adapted to be flushed in the open position of said controlling valves, motordiaphragms covering said chambers and having their faces constantly exposed to the tension in said box, and valve mechanisms respectively controlled by said tracking ducts for admitting either suction or the outer atmosphere to said diaphragm chambers.

2. In an automatic adjusting device for music sheets, the combination of a tracker,

a pair of tracking ducts, valves controlling said ducts, actuating devices for said valves arranged to be engaged by opposite edges of the music sheet, and mechanisms for restoring the proper relation between the tracker and the music sheet When the sheet moves laterally to an abnormal position, said mechanism comprising a suction box containing a pair of opposing diaphragmchambers, motor-diaphragms covering said chambers and having their faces constantly exposed to the tension in said box, means for transmitting motion from one of said diaphragms to the other, conduits leading from each of said d3aphragm-chambers to said suction box and the outer atmosphere, valves controlling the conduits of the respective diaphragm-chambers, and primary pneumatics for the last-named valves connected with said tracking ducts.

3. In an automatic adjusting device for music sheets, the combination of a tracker, a pair of tracking ducts, means associated with opposite edges of the music sheet for controlling said ducts, and mechanism for restoring the proper relation between the tracker and the music sheet when the sheet moves laterally to an abnormal position, said mechanism comprising a suction box containing a pair of opposing diaphragmchambers adapted to be flushed in the open position of said controlling valve, motordiaphragms covering said chambers and having their faces constantly exposed to the tension in said box, means for transmitting motion from one of said diaphragms to the other, and valve mechanisms respectively controlled by said tracking ducts for admitting either suction or the outer atmosphere to said diaphragm-chambers.

Witness my hand this 29th day of December, 1913.

WILLIAM F. BAYER. Witnesses:

C. F. GEYER, E. M. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

